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Familiar Faces Returning to McCain '08

This time two old faces are coming back into the fold -- Carla Eudy and Mike Dennehy.

Eudy, who was McCain's longtime finance consultant, was dismissed as the campaign's finance director earlier this year following the Arizona senator's underwhelming fundraising performance in the first quarter of the year. Eudy has agreed to rejoin the campaign, although contrary to prior reports she will not return to her former role. Instead, Eudy will help McCain with advance, scheduling and fundraising.

Dennehy, who left as national political director in May, is also poised to take on a larger role in the campaign. Reports conflict as to exactly what Dennehy's title will be -- some say he will be restored to his former post, others say no titles have been discussed -- but there is no doubt he is back in the McCain inner circle.

What's clear is that the people who were on the outs under campaign manager Terry Nelson and chief strategist John Weaver are now part of the in-crowd under new campaign director Rick Davis.

The McCain campaign leadership has undergone an almost complete overhaul, with Davis, Eudy and Dennehy, as well as pollster Bill McInturff and lobbyist Tom Loeffler, forming the core team now.

Expect more departures of Nelson-Weaver loyalists over the next week or so. And if the early returns are any indicator, look to folks who left the campaign over the past months to come back and fill those vacancies.

"Might not Bush's relationship with God ... produce an epiphany for Bush, shaking off the evil spell that has been entangling him for years?"

"In short, no. It is Bush's relationship with God that shook off the evil spell he was under in his youth: chemical dependancy. It is also Bush's relationship with God that drives him in the Mid East. He explains the confrontation in terms of good and evil, he often talks about his decisions about and hopes for Iraq in terms of faith. "

Yes, that describes Bush's faith experiences in the far past and the recent past/present. But might not Bush have a new faith experience in the future, a faith experience that helps him to cast off the evil forces that surround him in the shadowed White House?

You can't just say "no he won't", because it's an open possibility. No matter how much you can't stand Bush personally, I think you have to admit that it would be good for our government and for our country if he does.

lylepink - We don't think badly of McCain. In fact, he has very low negatives and is consistently regarded as the most believable candidate out of everyone R or D.

This little cloak and dagger game you are playing is getting very tiresome. For someone who believes that the Middle East would be more stable if Iran had nuclear weapons, this particular theory of yours amounts to only more ridiculous drivel from a Hillary hack.

"I, or no other decent person would reveal unless it became absolutely necessary for us to live with ourselves."

Well, then perhaps it would be best to not encourage speculation, and avoid the teasing too. Though I'm now intrigued (which, I assume, is the opposite of your intention). Is he a poof? Did he really father a biracial child in SC? Satanism? Secret fan of Al Gore? What could be so dastardly that he could be blackmailed for it? Yet apparently think it wouldn't come out in a Pres campaign?

Yes, in light of the creationism lunacy, that is an important distinction to make. In the source article, scientists speculate that a male moon butterfly mutated an immunity to the parasite that was invading other males. So this one butterly really got his rocks off and rapidly spread the mutation with all the ladies.

Years ago a buddy asked my father, if he were an animal, what kind of animal would he be?

bsimon: When you read what I say, and not understand the information I have is such that I, or no other decent person would reveal unless it became absolutely necessary for us to live with ourselves. I will never tell anyone, no matter what, but the political world, as you should know, is not like any other. That is why I mention this for the sake of those that support McCain, and not think badly of him when he does what he knows he must do to spare his family and friends.

McCains comments today in NH suggest he sees the end in site. He alienated the GOP with immigration, and the independents with his position on Iraq. NH has more independents that Dems or R's. I will be surprised if he lasts until the NH primary, which he won, I believe in 2000. He simply does not have the money to run an effective campaign. It is too late for him to shift his positions on those two issues, so perhaps we should just give him credit for sticking to what he believes in, and being the warrior that he is. Sounds like an epitaph, doesn't it?

Usually I don't care about stickler type things on blogs. I'm not an English fanatic.

The reason I mentioned this is that there's a lot of confusion about evolution out there. It's not just a detail, it's about how the whole thing happened. There really are a lot of people who think that evolution is a purposeful process. That's part of why there's a lot of confusion about creationism. Certainly not the whole reason, but part. So, I think it is worth mentioning. Things happen to evolve, they don't evolve on purpose.

"Moon-fly males were infected by this parasite, which was killing them off. Then one of these Moon-flys mutated such that they're (currently) immune to the parasites' affects. It is unclear how long it will take the parasites to adapt to this mutation, or if they will at all.

Parable, or too much of a stretch?"

Does this refer to the upcoming GOP convention or the GOP rebellion in the Senate?

"What Gandalf can dispel the web of confusion entangling President Bush?
"

Only when he becomes King of Crawford will the dark days of the second term fade away into retrospection and clearer thinking.

Home (the WH) is behind
The world ahead
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadow
To the edge of night
Until the stars are all alight
Mist and shadow
Cloud and shade
All shall fade
All shall fade

"The continuing battle between a butterfly and the bacteria that nearly wiped out all the insect species' males has taken a sudden and unexpected turn.

In just a few years, the butterfly has evolved a way to evade the bacteria's tightly controlling grip.

The findings show that evolution can strike in a flash, even after long periods of time with little change, researchers say.

The bacteria had been killing off nearly all the male larvae of the ... blue moon butterfly.

... for now, the mutant male butterflies apparently have a huge advantage over their ancestors."

Is there a parallel here? Moon-fly males were infected by this parasite, which was killing them off. Then one of these Moon-flys mutated such that they're (currently) immune to the parasites' affects. It is unclear how long it will take the parasites to adapt to this mutation, or if they will at all.

I don't know anyone who support MCCain - they all view him as a BUSH clone! He continues, to support Bush with a blind loyalty that is unwarranted! Many people are sick of BUSH and anything associated with him! MCCain is a sinking ship!

Jude C Crater
"So much for KOZ's claim that this blog is a "moonbat mutual admiration society.""

Did you see the news? Moon-moths have adapted remarkably quickly. Or something like that. There was a story at google news (in sci-tech area) about some species of moth that has rapidly evolved in order to neutralize the impact of some blood-sucking parasite that threatened the species. Not mammals, to be sure, but perhaps he's confused about flying creatures.

Golgi asks
"Might not Bush's relationship with God ... produce an epiphany for Bush, shaking off the evil spell that has been entangling him for years?"

In short, no. It is Bush's relationship with God that shook off the evil spell he was under in his youth: chemical dependancy. It is also Bush's relationship with God that drives him in the Mid East. He explains the confrontation in terms of good and evil, he often talks about his decisions about and hopes for Iraq in terms of faith.

lylepink writes
"No one seems to be picking up on what I said so long ago, and repeated on the other McCain blog here."

Perhaps people are ignoring you because you haven't said a damn thing. You've whispered about some obscure conspiracy theory you heard somewhere nameless, the details of which you've not shared here. What's to comment on? A bunch of baseless whisperings more suitable to a bunch of 7th graders. (Did you HEAR?? Jenny likes Bob!! Pass it on!!)

One more LOTR analogy and then I will retreat in embarrassment. OK. To dispel Wormtongue's evil influence on Theoden, Gandalf had to step in.

What Gandalf can dispel the web of confusion entangling President Bush? There really is no single person who can do the job.

But Bush is a born-again Christian. Might not Bush's relationship with God (or, depending on YOUR beliefs, his belief in God) produce an epiphany for Bush, shaking off the evil spell that has been entangling him for years?

JUDGE, I have to agree about the herd following the leader, when Dobson publicly tried to give his unique evangelical version of the Catholic's old absolution to Newt Gingrich, I nearly split a gut LOL.

I could just see Dobson in that Evangelical Bishop's hat and robe, carrying that Evangelical Sceptre, and tapping the ever-penitent newly christened Newt The Noble on his shoulder, saying "Arise adulterer, your sins are forgiven..."

No one seems to be picking up on what I said so long ago, and repeated on the other McCain blog here. I cannot verify he is on his way out because of the real bad stuff being held over his head. To save his family and friends from what I think to be 99.99% accurate, is the only thing I can think of him doing. Speculation, on my part, is the only way I can even use the word "Blackmail", but when I/you look at the support he has given GW, no matter what, it definately is a possibility that has crossed my mind and others as well.

JEP: naah, I wish but the sheep will get in line behind whoever they are told to worship. You assume that the average GOP voter thinks critically about who they will vote for or examines their positions closely. I've seen no data to support that. We have the recent spectacle of millions of "pro-life" R's voting for Bush even after he helped the state of Texas murder 155 fully-developed human beings. Even though the Bible should rightly burst into flames whenever he holds it, the image of Bush holding one is infinitely more important to the sheep. And so it will go with Guiliani/Romney/whoever.

(I noticed I left a paragraph out of the previous post while cutting and pasting, this should should clear up any ambiguities...)

....Or maybe it won't be filled at all.

The Media Wingnuts and their chief information angel, Rove, were predicting the demise of the Democratic Party as recently as 2004.

{But now, so soon after their mighty boasting, it is the Republicans who need to watch out for an unexpected and early extinction.} If the best argument thier candidates can conjur up in a debate is who loves torture the most, their "moral issues" base is going to get even more confused, so much that they may even finally recognize the rampant hypocrisy of their own party, and leave forthwith.

The Republicans need more than a new leader, they need to justify their ideals with their reality.

It is possible the chasm is irreparable. There will still be loyal, honest Republicans to tour their party's qualities, but when the bulk of misguided ideologues and their Rovian midguiders are taken out of the picture, the numbers don't look good.

The Republican Party might survive the damage Bush and his posse of lawless, book-cooking no-bidders has caused them, but they'll need some serious bi-polar therapy if they ever to find themselves again, after getting lost between two extremes.

I agree with above, trying to play to Bush's base and former advisers lost a lot of the friends that loved him and won no new ones. Mark in Austin above makes a very good point. Regardless of McCain's money etc...he should stick and it and speak the truth in the press and in the debates (what he was great at and loved for before trying to become W's buddy).

I think the traditional campaign option for McCain is gone. It didn't suit him anyway...but here is a big possibility for him going forward...

With more and more Republicans now joining the Dems to ask for a pullout in Iraq, the Iraqi government continuing to be...well...not much of a government, the anti war people will get what they want, a pullout.

With the pullout the Turks attack the PKK in northern Kurdistan, the Sunnis and Shiites go at it, backed by Saudi and Iran respectively and all hell ensues. Gas prices go to $100 etc...and McCain will be the gracious guy and get on the news and say "I am very very very sorry that I was right."

All of the talk of backing Bush and immigration support (which was both the correct economic and moral/Christian thing to do by the way)will drop by the wayside as people realize they need someone who truly understands the issue. No other candiate, milking 9-11 for all its worth while being bad in so many ways...and not one who speaks of a "new kind of politics" but offers nothing of substance....will have a chance, but only those with just good, dead on experience with great judgement will be appealing. (one could only hope)
I pray this doesn't have to happen but it might and would put McCain back in the driver seat.
McCainiac till the bitter end I'm afraid.

Forget comparisons to Bush 2000....many of McCain's current insiders are the same ones that brought you Dole/Kemp in '96. (And we all remember how that turned out.) The similaries between the candidates, campaigns and the mistakes made by both are eerie.

I agree with above, trying to play to Bush's base and former advisers lost a lot of the friends that loved him and won no new ones. Mark in Austin above makes a very good point. Regardless of McCain's money etc...he should stick and it and speak the truth in the press and in the debates (what he was great at and loved for before trying to become W's buddy).

I think the traditional campaign option for McCain is gone. It didn't suit him anyway...but here is a big possibility for him going forward...

With more and more Republicans now joining the Dems to ask for a pullout in Iraq, the Iraqi government continuing to be...well...not much of a government, the anti war people will get what they want, a pullout.

With the pullout the Turks attack the PKK in northern Kurdistan, the Sunnis and Shiites go at it, backed by Saudi and Iran respectively and all hell ensues. Gas prices go to $100 etc...and McCain will be the gracious guy and get on the news and say "I am very very very sorry that I was right."

All of the talk of backing Bush and immigration support (which was both the correct economic and moral/Christian thing to do by the way)will drop by the wayside as people realize they need someone who truly understands the issue. No other candiate, milking 9-11 for all its worth while being bad in so many ways...and not one who speaks of a "new kind of politics" but offers nothing of substance....will have a chance, but only those with just good, dead on experience with great judgement will be appealing. (one could only hope)
I pray this doesn't have to happen but it might and would put McCain back in the driver seat.
McCainiac till the bitter end I'm afraid.

The Media Wingnuts and their chief information angel, Rove, were predicting the demise of the Democratic Party as recently as 2004. If the best argument thier candidates can conjur up in a debate is who loves torture the most, their "moral issues" base is going to get even more confused, so much that they may even finally recognize the rampant hypocrisy of their own party, and leave forthwith.

The Republicans need more than a new leader, they need to justify their ideals with their reality.

It is possible the chasm is irreparable. There will still be loyal, honest Republicans to tour their party's qualities, but when the bulk of misguided ideologues and their Rovian midguiders are taken out of the picture, the numbers don't look good.

The Republican Party might survive the damage Bush and his posse of lawless, book-cooking no-bidders has caused them, but they'll need some serious bi-polar therapy if they ever to find themselves again, after getting lost between two extremes.

It will be interesting to see how the McCain candidacy plays out. At this point it looks somewhat sad, but perhaps he can recover some of the old persona for which he used to be respected. I suspect that if he can stick it out, he could end up regaining front-runner status.

Here's the problem, as I see it: the GOP currently has no effective leadership. President Bush is still the de-facto head of the party, but most of Washington - certainly those up for reelection in 2008 - are distancing themselves from him. Thus far nobody has shown up as a new visionary for the party. Giuliani certainly doesn't seem to be forward thinking - he's still living in a late 2001 / early 2002 world. Romney isn't a leader, he's following the polls. Thompson's popularity is based on his last 12 years of being a blank slate, politically - the tabula rasa candidate. A visionary, he is not. So who does that leave to resuscitate the GOP? Perhaps McCain is not the man for that job either - but somebody is going to have to step into that role.

This is deja-vu, we all actually had a similar blogger's conversation here on The Fix, way back when McCain first fell for those "old Bush insider's" offerings. As I recall, there was more than one lamenter, from both sides of the aisle, who knew McCain's bite of that poison apple would turn bitter before it hit his belly.

The bitter fruits of Rovism, (my term for that unchecked, "anything-goes" approach to popular politics) have poisoned another good man.

I would guess McCain's clear-lighting a little every day, reminds me of the scene in Lord of the rings where wormtongue's (Rove's) spell wears off the king...

Like McCain, that old king sure got ugly from taking bad advice.

I doubt, though, that McCain will be able to rebuild his army, what respect he had managed to create with his bi-partisan legislation, was sacrificed when he took on Rove as his secret soothsayer.

JEP - I have thought that for a while now, as well. The whole timing of the immigration debacle seems very suspect to me. Somehow I felt as though Rove/Bush/the WH was orchestrating his demise for the primaries by encouraging him to be out front in the Senate on that bill, knowing all the while that it would be the last straw for him with the base.

What remains true for those on the campaign is their belief that McCain is the one to lead our country ahead. Eudy, Davis and the others are committed to McCain--the others jumping ship had their loyalties misplaced. Weaver and Nelson were wrong from day 1. I give McCain credit for cleaning house and showing the old Bush crowd the door.

What remains true for those on the campaign is their belief that McCain is the one to lead our country ahead. Eudy, Davis and the others are committed to McCain--the others jumping ship had their loyalties misplaced. Weaver and Nelson were wrong from day 1. I give McCain credit for cleaning house and showing the old Bush crowd the door.

anyway, if McCain can propose an alternative approach to prosecuting the war in Iraq - he might be able to resuscitate his candidacy. He does have more credibility, I believe, on military matters than the other candidates. However, simply supporting the present course is neither prudent nor good politics.

McCain's biggest mistake was going after Bush's base, which is about as fickle as a teenager in springtime.

McCain's old "straight talk" personae wasn't respected so much by Bush's brainless base, it was independent Independents and Blue Dog Democrats who fell for that "straight talk" campaign.

Whatever made McCain think the dwindling base of ideologically confused social conservatives that Bush (and Rove)attributed his election "wins" to was somehow the ticket to victory?

When McCain started courting the likes of Rove to advise him on his campaign, he should have been looking over his shoulder a bit more closely, to see what they were up to BEHIND his back. Isn't it interesting there's a clear downward spiral that goes back to when McCain took on some of those Rovish rouges?

Maybe McCain forgot about all those cliche's about sleeping with the devil, and now it's all coming home to roost...

It makes me wonder if there isn't a deliberate, well orchestrated effort by some of his fellow R's, to derail McCain's campaign from the inside, all financed by Romney's money and executed by Giulliani's crooked collection of political miscreants...

McCain 2000 cannot be recreated because this is the 2008 race. McCain has alienated the base - despite being in agreement with them on about 90% of the issues. His campaign has been badly mismanaged so he is almost broke. Giuliani has more appeal to the moderates and cross-over voters who went for McCain in droves in 2000. Thompson provides a more comfortable candidate for conservatives who cannot stomach Giuliani, are suspicious of Romney's recent conversion and do not want to support a second tier candidate.

McCain used to be a forceful critic of the administration's mismanagement of the war. A lot of Republicans support the invasion in principle but are deeply disappointed with Bush's

Those who doubt McCain would do well to read the history of his life, and the life of his father and grandfather, both admirals in the US Navy. All these McCain men have won every war they fought. Losing a few battles means nothing. Losing a few Bush 2004 campaigners means nothing. McCain has fought through much more difficult storms than this.

The rumors of Senator John McCain's demise in this race have been extremely exaggerated. McCain is in this race to win it. He is still in 2nd place in New Hampshire and 1st in South Carolina right now. 2 of the 4 often mentioned early states that will help him stay in the game. I believe that with his staff in New Hampshire, McCain can still win New Hampshire as well as win South Carolina with the organization he has there. Forget about Iowa, Romney has stated his entire campaign on Iowa. Right now, Fred Thompson leads in Nevada, but it's close there. McCain will stay in it to win it, and that he may just do yet.

Now, I don't follow this stuff very closely, but if I'm Eudy and I already got whacked, how desperate do I need to be to crawl back? Maybe she needs money, I don't know. It's like two drowning people in the middle of the ocean grabbing onto each other to stay afloat. Sad.

The nail in the McCain coffin was his blind support of the immigration compromise. Practically nobody in America wanted it, aside from Bush and Kennedy. And coming from AZ, he should know better... a lot better.

I cannot imagine anyone contributing to McCain, regardless of his "team". If not another candidate, then donate to charity.
JM's stubborn support of (stubborn)GB, and the war, tells me he needs to reassess his policies and platform. THAT is the basic problem.

I make the following suggestions with respect, and not for political advantage.

1] Scale back your active Presidential campaign and do not go into debt.
2] Remain a candidate, but generally locate in DC and Arizona.
3] Participate in the Republican debates.
4] Speak out in the Senate on the issues that move you: e.g.; Iraq, immigration, eliminating pork, and the environment.
5] Accept invitations to Sunday news shows.
6] Regain your good humor.

Two possibilities will then present themselves and they are better than what is happening for you and for us now. You could lose the nomination without losing your shirt while regaining some of the credibility that only a Senator who is NOT walking Iowa and New Hampshire can ever have.

You will still maintain a stage for your ideas. Further, you may gain a position of influence when three other Republicans have deadlocked the Convention. You will regain your health in the process. You might come back stronger as a candidate or not, but you will regain energy as a statesman, and that will be better for you and for us.

Good luck in trying to raise more money; CNN reports that McCain has only $250k left in the bank:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- CNN has learned the already-dire situation for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign has actually gotten even worse, with two sources close to the candidate saying the campaign only has a paltry $250,000 left.

The sources tell CNN that next week the McCain campaign will reveal it has about $1.75 million in unpaid debts, wiping out the $2 million in cash-on-hand the campaign currently has in the bank.

It was not immediately clear whether the campaign debt must be repaid immediately or whether the debt can be paid back over time, including after the presidential campaign ends.

Even though McCain has raised just over $11 million overall in the last three months, his campaign has spent large sums of money, one of the primary reasons for the departure earlier this week of his top two strategists, Terry Nelson and John Weaver.

A McCain spokesman had no comment on the latest financial troubles, which will spark a new round of speculation about the candidate's viability. Campaign officials are expected to release details about campaign's financial situation early next week.